Mel Kiper Jr. discusses the challenges of evaluating Florida QB Anthony Richardson as a prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft

Florida signal-caller Anthony Richardson made many spectacular plays this season that demonstrate his remarkably high ceiling. But he also looked awful in a number of other games during his up-and-down 2022 campaign. While he’s blessed with tremendous physical tools and oozing with a jaw-dropping amount of potential, there were plenty of people out there that figured Richardson was going to come back for Florida for another year to develop his skills at the quarterback position. However, he surprised many people by declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft just a few days ago. ESPN’s NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. discussed the challenges of evaluating Richardson as an NFL quarterback prospect on ESPN’s SportsCenter with Kevin Negandhi on Thursday night.

“I’ve been all over the place, Kevin. The Utah game, after that game I think he’s got a chance to be the No. 1 pick, top 5 pick. And then, the inaccuracy throwing the football. He’s been missing layups. Easy throws. That’s mechanical. That can be worked out. Certainly, the talent, the physical ability, the arm strength. Great running skills. 54 percent completion percentage. He’s gotta fix that. That’s gotta be up to 63 [percent]. That’s gonna take some time. That’s what he needs now. Sit, watch, and learn. Fix the issue in terms of developing more accuracy. The talent is there. He’s a guy–the old cliche is he can either make your draft or break your heart. He’s boom-or-bust. That’s Anthony Richardson,” Kiper said.

Kiper currently ranks Richardson as his No. 19 overall prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. This year, Richardson completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 2,549 passing yards, while tossing in 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. A dynamic dual-threat, he ran for 654 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns this season. It’s certainly going to be fascinating to see what NFL team decides to take a chance on him in the upcoming draft.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. One hundred underclassmen gained approval for last year’s draft. Seventy-three of those 100 underclassmen received special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.